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Example of Keyhole Design
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I first came across the concept of keyhole design for food gardens when I caught a program on PBS called Live Outdoors: The Victory Garden, hosted by Jamie Durie. I was blown away by this huge undertaking of designing, planning and installing a public demonstration food garden right in front of City Hall Civic Center in San Francisco. The website says that in the summer of 2008 they harvested 100 lbs. a week of fresh organic produce from this space.
I snagged part of this from the show’s description:
Old is new again. During World Wars I and II, home gardeners supported the effort abroad by growing their own vegetables to feed their families. Today, the Victory Garden movement continues—representing the need to work toward sustainability in an effort to connect the planet to the plate.
Love that, “connect the planet to the plate."
To get a short glimpse into the overall project, it’s creators and the significance of the slow food’s movement watch this short video:
Before: on the left (unstainable monoculture, i.e., grass). After: on the right (food gardens that enrich our lives).
Amazing the amount of food you can get in very little space. Food plants bringing people together in a circle of positive energy.
Then shortly after watching the program on PBS, I bought and I was reading Food Not Lawns by H.C. Flores. In the chapter “The Living Soil,” under “Bed Designs,” is a drawing of keyhole patterns. Ms. Flores states that, “the best way to make use of a given space is with three-way branching patterns. Nature uses branching patterns to distribute nutrients in plants and trees and to drain and distribute water across the lands. While straighter beds are easier to maintain with machines, if you are working on a hand scale, you should design your garden in patterns to make more ecological sense. Straight rows are the least efficient use of space, so get creative and see how your space expands! By laying patterns in your design at each stage of the work, you enhance the fractal nature of your garden and thus its ability to thrive on multiple levels.”
Hey, I couldn’t have said it any better, H.C. I’m ready to explore the keyhole approach!
So what brings me to write about keyhole design? I have been fascinated by the design concept, but have never had the chance to implement it. Recently I’ve been given the opportunity to chance to redesign a city food garden, currently laid out in standard straight rows with walking paths in between. The gardener was tired of the look, and functionality of the space. I immediately thought—ah ha, keyhole design!
Current food garden that I will be redesigning with concept of keyhole format:
There is tons of information on keyhole garden design. For example, this blog describes the entire process they used to create a no till raised bed keyhole garden.
As you start thinking about putting in your food plants for this season, think about keyhole design and how to utilize your space using this concept.
More examples of keyhole pattern garden design:
Beth Gellman is an EarthDance Farm Alumn and a landscape designer specializing in edible food gardens and community gardens. To contact The Garden Coach, please email Beth at gellmandesign@yahoo.com.
